Arts, Briefly; Sales Record for a Diva

By PHIL SWEETLAND; Compiled by Lawrence Van Gelder

Published: December 15, 2004

Correction Appended

The Recording Industry Association of America has certified that ''Come On Over'' (1997), by the Canadian diva Shania Twain, below, is the first country album to ever ship more than 20 million copies to retailers in the United States. The Mercury Nashville artist, who was also country's top touring act in 2004, surpasses the previous country record holder, the Garth Brooks album ''No Fences'' (1990), which shipped more than 17 million copies. Ms. Twain, who now lives in Switzerland, is the first Canadian native to reach 20 million for an album in the United States. The only other acts to reach that mark in the United States were the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and Billy Joel. Ms. Twain's ''Come On Over'' is the only one of those albums released after 1985. PHIL SWEETLAND

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Correction: December 23, 2004, Thursday
A report in the ''Arts, Briefly'' column on Dec. 15 about the certification of Shania Twain's ''Come On Over'' as the first country album with more than 20 million copies shipped to retailers in the United States omitted an act from a list of those that have reached the 20 million mark. It includes AC/DC, along with the Eagles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson and Billy Joel.